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Post by Ellen on Mar 29, 2004 14:01:17 GMT -5
Hi, I've been getting interested in rocks and I want to get a tumbler. I don't know anything about them, though. Would anyone want to suggest a good first tumbler? I don't really want to spend over $100, but I don't want a toy, either. I have no idea what kind of rocks I'll be tumbling. I was thinking about rocks from the beaches in New England, to start. Thank you for any help you can give me. Ellen
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Post by sandsman1 on Mar 29, 2004 14:43:54 GMT -5
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bcc
no posts
Member since March 2004
Posts: 0
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Post by bcc on Mar 29, 2004 17:43:01 GMT -5
Sandman is right. I bought one for my son this christmas. One that you get at a hobby store. One month later I bought a Lortone QT66. The small one is put up now and I'm running the 12 pounder and a Beacon Star that holds 6 lbs. So it won't be long and you'll be going bigger. For rocks their are people on this site that can help you where to go or they have some to sell you. I live in Indiana and there is not much here that you can pick up . I do go to my parents. They have a dried creek bed that only flows when it rains hard. I can pick up some interesting rocks there. So, besides the beach look around creeks where pebbles have washed up. You never know what you will find.
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thewiz
has rocks in the head
"What good is money if you don't spend it"
Member since January 2004
Posts: 735
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Post by thewiz on Mar 29, 2004 18:25:27 GMT -5
also check alphsupply.com they have the lortone 33b for 63.75 . i have one of these and they are small
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Post by rockyraccoon on Mar 29, 2004 19:03:28 GMT -5
i too started with the toy at christmas and now have 3 lortones - 2 qt66's and a qt12. if you get the 33-b, i'm sure you'll still find plenty of uses for it when you get a bigger one. you'll need an extra barrel just for the polish stage.
kim
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James
freely admits to licking rocks
Member since October 2003
Posts: 876
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Post by James on Mar 29, 2004 21:27:04 GMT -5
Well, I quess I'm in the minority here but I stand by Thumler Tumbler 100%!
Get a Thumlers model T2. It has two 3 lb barrel and is a great "starter" tumbler. Make sure you buy a seperate "polish only" barrel while you're at it.
-James
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MichiganRocks
starting to spend too much on rocks
"I wasn't born to follow."
Member since April 2007
Posts: 154
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Post by MichiganRocks on Mar 29, 2004 22:19:11 GMT -5
Hey James, make that a minority of two. I have a Lortone and Thumler's both, and I'll take a Thumler any day. Not saying that Lortone isn't a good tumbler, just that I like the Thumler's more.
Ron
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Banjocreek
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since March 2003
Posts: 1,115
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Post by Banjocreek on Mar 30, 2004 0:25:30 GMT -5
Well I like them both the same. I have a Thumler 12# a 15# and 2- 3#'s. I have Lortone 3-1.5 for all different polishes and Lortone 33b for pre-polishes. But to start out I got a Skilcraft and used Lortone 1.5 barrels and it was cheap and it's a good running machine. It is a sickness ;D
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WarrenA
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since November 2003
Posts: 1,530
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Post by WarrenA on Mar 30, 2004 0:34:19 GMT -5
buy as good as you can afford. get an extra barrel for final polish. I like the lortone barrel better, this is America you have to decide for your self. read the posts on this forum and you will gain a wealth of knowlege. there is no cure for rock sickness.
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tjmax
noticing nice landscape pebbles
Member since March 2004
Posts: 79
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Post by tjmax on Mar 30, 2004 11:19:20 GMT -5
buy as good as you can afford. get an extra barrel for final polish. While for many things this may be a good measure, i don't agree with going with the best you can get till you know you like it. You don't want to buy something thats crappy, but you don't want to put out 100's to find out you don't like something either. Like many other suggested, get a small tumbler, 3 pound one is just about right for starting get an extra barrol for sure and go out and find the wonders in your own back yard for tumbling. You will be suprized how pretty some things are that are just sitting around your own house.
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Post by creativeminded on Mar 30, 2004 11:37:06 GMT -5
I started with the small hobby tumbler, which will be going to my nieces and nephew in Wichita for Christmas. I am using a 3lb. Lortone and I love the quietness of it. Had to remove the housing because the motor was running so hot that the belt kept slipping off. I don't have a problem with little fingers getting into the fan blade because we don't have any little kids around the house and when the nieces and nephews come to visit they know not to mess with it.
Tami
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WarrenA
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since November 2003
Posts: 1,530
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Post by WarrenA on Mar 30, 2004 23:50:17 GMT -5
It has been my experience that if you buy something as cheap as possible you will probably get junk. Buy a 3lb lortone or thumler and you will have something that will last and do a good job. If you decide that in the future that tumbling isn't for you then sell it on ebay and you will get most of your money back
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llanago
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since January 2004
Posts: 1,714
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Post by llanago on Mar 31, 2004 0:58:11 GMT -5
sell it on ebay and you will get most of your money back
Might even get more than you paid for it. I always have an eye on the tumblers listed on eBay and have discovered that alot of the time, people will pay more for a used tumbler than what a new one cost. And, sometimes if there is a "buy it now" price, people will just keep bidding after it has passed the buy it now. Just blows my mind!
I started with a 3# Chicago Electric tumbler in January. Everybody I talked to said it was a piece of crap, but it's been a little jewel for me. Runs 24/7 and I haven't had a bit of problem with it. Two weeks after I got that one, I got a Lortone QT66, then a Lortone 33b, and last weekend got a Raytech vibrating tumbler.
Yep. this rock tumbling is a serious, addictive disease!
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Post by Ellen on Mar 31, 2004 14:58:55 GMT -5
Thank you all so much! This is exactly the discussion I wanted see. I had seen the brand names Lortone and Thumler. Since those two names came up here, I think I'm going to decide between those two companies' 3 lb models. Thanks again! Ellen
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